Jason Lewis Is ‘Running Wild’; Kieth Merrill To Direct ‘The Final Service’; Bogdanovich In ‘Day As Night’ – Film Briefs

Jason Lewis (Sex and the City) has taken the lead male role opposite Dorian Brown in Running Wild, from Forrest Lucas and Ali Afshar’s newly launched ESX Entertainment. The film follows Stella Davis (Brown), a widow who saves her ranch by working with convicts to rehabilitate a herd of wild horses that wandered on to her property. Stella must fight prejudice, greed, bureaucracy and vanity – including her own – to finally understand that there is no better remedy to misfortune than helping another living creature. Stone will play the main ‘villain’ role, Meredith.

Sharon Stone will appear as the primary antagonist, while Sons of Anarchy‘s Tommy Flanagan will play one of the convicts. Alex Ranarivelo directs from a script by Christina Moore and Brian Rudnick. Shooting starts this week in Napa, CA. ESX is financing and producing, with Lucas and Afshar on as producers and Moore as co-producer. Lewis is repped by Don Buchwald and Silver Lining.

Kieth Merrill will direct and rewrite the script for The Final Service, based on the upcoming novel by Gary W. Moore. Focused on Sandy Richards, a 40 year old music teacher, the story follows her as her damaged familial relationship and unfulfilled dreams bring her to the brink of self destruction. An unexpected visit shakes the core of her belieges and changes her life forever. The novel will be released in May, 2016 by Savas Beatie LLC. Merrill’s credits include Windwalker, Harry’s War, Amazon, 12 Dogs of Christmas and recently Four Blood Moons. Timothy Christian’s Night Fox Entertainment is producing The Final Service.

Director Peter Bogdanovich has taken a central role in neo-noir Day For Night, from director Michael Chrisoulakis. The Los Angeles-set film, funded thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign, is written by Guy Jackson. Bogdanovich will play a mysterious hypnotherapist named “Vedor, PH.D”. It’s produced by Kimmie Yan, Kate Rees-Davis, and Camilla Jackson. Stefan Coulson is director of photography. Lin Shaye also stars. Bogdanovich is repped by CAA and Radius Entertainment.